Idiocracy (2006)
79%RT Audience Score: 60%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Idiocracy is a film that is both a scathing critique of society’s descent into idiocy and a hilarious romp through a dystopian future. Mike Judge’s brand of satire is not for the faint of heart, as he refuses to distance himself from his targets, risking being mistaken for what he’s satirizing. However, this is part of the film’s genius, as it forces the audience to confront the uncomfortable truth that we are not too far off from the world depicted in the film. While some may find the film intermittently amusing or lazy, it is easily the most potent political film of the year and a stirring defense of traditional values. So, grab a Brawndo and buckle up for a ride through a world that is both hilarious and terrifyingly close to reality.
Idiocracy is a movie that will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even question the future of humanity. While some critics found it frustrating or lazy, I found it to be a hilarious and scathing commentary on our society’s obsession with entertainment and consumerism. The characters may be exaggerated caricatures of stupidity, but let’s be real, we all know someone who could fit right in with the world of Idiocracy. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Brawndo joke? Overall, if you’re looking for a movie that’s both funny and thought-provoking, Idiocracy is definitely worth a watch. Just maybe don’t drink any electrolytes while you do.
Production Company(ies)
20th Century Studios
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Texas, United States
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 24m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 2006 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2007
Genre(s)
Comedy/Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, David Herman, directed by Mike Judge, written by Mike Judge, Etan Cohen, comedy, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Reihan Salam, Bilge Ebiri, Ann Hornaday, Nick Schager, Fernando F Croce, J R Jones, Dennis Schwartz, Peter Schom, Lucy Barrick, Jorge Loser, Dorothy Woodend, Rob Vaux, R rating, private Joe Bowers, secret military experiment, hibernation, forgotten, stasis, 2505, average intelligence, smartest man in the world, Twentieth Century Fox, Dolby, DTS, producer Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz, MPAA rating, satire, traditional values, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, Futurama, Brawndo, dumb society, Maya Rudolph
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $7,829,688
Production budget ranking: 1,761
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,216,287
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Maya Rudolph – Rita
Dax Shepard – Frito
Terry Crews – President Camacho
David Herman – Secretary of State
Erik Anderson – Angry Court Member
Director – Mike Judge
Producers – Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz
Writers – Mike Judge, Etan Cohen
Production Company – Twentieth Century Fox
Sound Mix – Dolby, DTS
Director(s)
Mike Judge
Writer(s)
Mike Judge, Etan Cohen
Producer(s)
Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (15)
Idiocracy is easily the most potent political film of the year, and the most stirring defense of traditional values since Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France.
April 9, 2020
Reihan Salam
Slate
TOP CRITIC
The whole film has a drab, somnambulant rhythm. Intentional or not, this is part of its genius.
October 4, 2016
Bilge Ebiri
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
If the world is going to hell in any number of handbaskets — as Judge so acutely demonstrates that it is — you might as well hitch a ride in his.
May 7, 2009
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
An intermittently amusing — and sometimes lazy — satire that plays like a so-so episode of Futurama.
January 18, 2007 | Rating: B-
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
By refusing to distance itself from its targets, Mike Judge’s brand of satire risks being mistaken for what it’s satirizing.
January 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Fernando F. Croce
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The movie is bracing for its bile but ultimately more frustrating than funny.
October 3, 2006
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Crappy film.
November 20, 2020 | Rating: D
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
While dumb people are an easy target, Judge makes a mistake in only working variants of this one riff.
April 9, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
Peter Schom
IGN Movies
Although Wilson’s everyman is a bit too much of a blank slate to really care about, the gaudy visuals and cynical gags more than compensate.
April 9, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Lucy Barrick
Radio Times
A movie not too bright, not funny, but that guessed right and predicted the incredible… The Apocalypse is now. [Full Review in Spanish]
August 20, 2019
Jorge Loser
Espinof
The film was shelved good and hard after its initial release, and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s just a little too close to genuine reality.
August 22, 2017
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)
Here we are, watching TPTB water the crops with Brawndo EVERY SINGLE DAY and a substantial chunk of the populace actively wondering why the rest of us are freaking out.
February 28, 2017
Rob Vaux
Cinema-stache…
Plot
In Idiocracy, a man and woman are forgotten in hibernation for 500 years and wake up to a world where intelligence has drastically decreased, making the man the smartest person alive.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Terry Crews plays President Camacho, a former professional wrestler and porn star who becomes the President of the United States in the year 2505.
Mike-Judge.jpg
